classe Dr-3

I've always loved Dave Reich's superb early designs, but they are pretty old now. If you're thinking of a DR-3, you might consider the new Aleph J from Nelson Pass at First Watt. It has the same power as the DR-3, but is a modern Class A design. I'd be willing to bet it sounds better than the older amp as well. The early Classe designs sounded pretty dark. For under $2500 you simply can't go wrong with the Aleph J. It's the best low-power solid state amp I've ever heard. I have a review here at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1132102991

Drive tough loads is right. I once heard a DR-3 VHC (the big brother of the DR-3) kick a Krell KSA-100 into the weeds driving a pair of Apogee Divas. That was a phenomenal experience - Liszt's "Via Crucis" turned one end of the store into a cathedral with that amp. The Aleph J will not have the low-impedance drive capability of the DR-3 by any stretch of the imagination.

One thing to keep in mind is that the electrolytic caps in the old amp may need replacing at this point.